Means for supplying anti-detonant to an internal-combustion engine



Dec. 4, 1956 J. c. RlDLl-:Y ETAL 2,772,866

' MEANS F OR SUPPLYING ANTI-DETOANT To AN INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 15, 1954 United States Patent "O MEANS FOR SUPPLYING ANTI-DETONANT T AN INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE John Cecil Ridley, Kenilworth, and Stuart Audley Saxton, Southam, England Application March 15, 1954, Serial No. 416,322 Claims priority, application Great Britain March 17, 1953 2 Claims. (Cl. 261-44) This invention relates to an internal-combustion engine, our main objects being to lessen the likelihood of pinking and carbon deposits, to ensure that the piston, cylinder head and associated parts of the engine will not reach excessive temperatures, and to provide economy in the use of fuel.

The invention broadly comprises the combination with an internal-coinbustion engine, of a supply of water (and this may, if desired, be admixed with methanol, or other material which is miscible with water and which will depress the freezing point of water and be able to participate in the combustion), and a fitting by means of which a predetermined quantity of the said supply'can be induced in to a part of the induction system when the pressure at that part is sub-atmospheric. y

According to a further feature of the invention, the fitting has an inlet to be connected to the said supply, a manually-adjustable valve controlling the inlet, an outlet to be connected to the said part of the induction system, and a diaphragm chamber connected with the outlet, the diaphragm carrying a valve member which `is springpressed to close a passage from theinlet valve to `the outlet when atmospheric pressure exists in the said part of the induction system and which is to establish the passage when an appropriate sub-atmospheric pressure exists in the said part.

According to -yet another feature, the valve member extends sealingly through the diaphragm to a region, at atmospheric pressure, the valve member having a longitudinally-arranged duct, for the said supply, within it and this duct having a lateral port which is shrouded when atmospheric pressure exists in the said part and which, when the diaphragm is dellected by the existence of a sub-atmospheric pressure in the said part is moved, by the resultant movement of the valve member, to an unshrouded position in which it communicates with the said region so as to inspire air for mixing with the said supply.

It should be understood that the invention is applicable to both spark-ignition and compression-ignition engines.

The said part of the induction system is at or adjacent the end communicating with the atmosphere (e. g., at the upstream side of any buttertly or throttle valve used) so that the amount of water supplied will be proportional to the engine air consumption.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is an axial section through one form of fitting according to the invention and shows it connected to the air intake of a Carburettor of a spark-ignition engine; and

Figure 2 is a plan view of the manual control.

The fitting shown comprises casing portions 11, 12 having a diaphragm 13 peripherally clamped between their adjacent edges, and the casing portions are shown provided with tapped, blind holes 14, 14 by which the tting can be supported (e. g., by a bracket, not shown) in a convenient position.

The water supply (i. e., with, or without, an additive "ice 2 as previously mentioned) is delivered from a suitable source to a banjo union 15 around a tubular extension 16 of a member 17 which has a screw-threaded connection 18 in a bore of the part 11. The union is clamped, with interposed washers 19, 19, between a shoulder on the member 17 and a nut 20 working on the extension 16, and a sealing washer 21 is clamped between an opposite shoulder of the member 17 and an annular face of the part 11.

A needle valve member 22, with a screw-threaded engagement 23 in the bore of the extension 16, has a handle 24 fast at its outer end. As shown, the handle (which may be of plastic) has a metal liner 25 through which a grub screw 26, inserted through a hole 27 of the handle, engages a dimple in the valve member 22. At its inner end the needle valve member coacts with a seating 28 in a bore of the member 17.

The member 17 is counter-bored at 29 to receive an annular rubber seating 30 for the conical nose of a valve member 31 which is fast with the diaphragm 13 and extends through the latter. The valve member 31 is guided in a liner 32 in an inward tubular extension 33 of the part 11, and this liner serves in certain conditions to shroud a lateral port 34 which leads to an axial duct 35 of the lvalve member 31 as hereinafter described.

As shown, the valve member 31 is formed with a, shoulder 36 and a screw-threaded portion 37 to receive a nut 38, by which latter the valve member 31 is sealingly clamped to the diaphragm 13 with interposed cup-washers 39, 39. Y A

The opposite end 40 of the valve member 31 is openended and extends into an inward tubular extension 41, of the casing part 12, closed by a plug 42 which clamps a second banjo union 43 up to a flat outer surface of the part 12, with interposed sealing washers 44, 44. This second union is connected by a pipe 45 to a hollow member 46 which extends into the air intake passage 47 of a Carburettor, at the upstream side of the Carburettor buttery valve 48. As shown, the member 46 has a threaded engagement in the wall of the intake passage 47 and is held in position by a nut 49. The member 46 has an inner, blind end 50 and a pair of ports 51, 52 aligned with the axis of the intake passage 47, the port 51 being smaller than the port 52.

In operation, water entering the union 15 passes into an annulus 53 in the extension 16 and through radial ports 54, 54 in the latter to a second annulus 55 round a reduced end portion of the valve member 22. When the handle 24 is turned to open the needle valve the water is made available at the valve 30, 31, and the latter valve will open when a sufliciently low sub-atmospheric pressure existing in the Carburettor intake 47, communicated Y by the pipe 45 to the part 12, enables atmospheric pressure, entering through a hole 56 in the part l1, to overcome the effort of a biassing spring 57 acting on the diaphragm. In these conditions the water passing the valve 30, 31 enters an annulus 58 and passes thence through radial ports 59 into the bore 35 of the valve member 31. When the diaphragm has been appropriately deflected in this way the port 34 of the valve member 31 becomes unshrouded from the liner 32 and admits air at atmospheric pressure from the interior of the part 11, the air becoming emulsiied with the water in the bore 35.

The emulsion is induced into the member 46 by the carburettor intake air acting ejector-wise on the port 52, and the smaller port 51 admits a small supply of air for assisting in maintaining the emulsitied condition of the air and liquid which is delivered from the port 52 and for initiating emulsiticati-on if, due to the engine having been shllit down, the member 46 becomes' filled with the liquid on y.

The handle 24 can be turned to open the needle valve 22, 28 to a desired extent, and, for this purpose, the handle can, as shown in Figure 2, include an index 60 working in conjunction with a scale 61 on a disc 62 which is Tmade fast, as by screws 63, Iwith an annular -plate 64. The -latterisslrown welded at '65 to the nut 20. -It is ar- .ranged for `the disc 62 to holda .sealing .ring 66 .against the adjacent end of the tubularextension A16 whereby to prevent leakage of the water from where the needle valve member 22 extends out of the said extension to its connection tothe handle 24.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l1.V .Means for enabling a predetermined quantity of liquid anti-detonant to be induced Vinto the induction systemof an internal-combustion engine in a-position where the pressure is .sub-atmospheric, said means comprising a casing formed in two portions, a diaphragm peripherally vclamped between said casing portions to divide .the latter into two chambers, one of said chambers communicating with the atmosphere and the other being sealed, a needle v-alve controlling an inlet for anti-detonant to said sealed chamber, manual means controlling the degree of opening of said needle valve, a second valvebetween said Vneedle valve and said sealed chamber, a communication from said needle valve to said second valve, said second valve ha-ving a movable member, said movable member fast with said diaphragm andextending therethrough into both said-chambers, means biassing said movable member to close said second valve, a guide for said movable member in the chamber which communicates with the atmosphere, said movable member having an internal duct establishing a communication between the downstream side of said second valve and said sealed chamber, an inlet for air at atmospheric pressure into s'aid duct, said movable member when closing said second valve also closing said air inlet, and a communication from said position insaid induction system to said sealed chamber whereby, when a sub-atmospheric vpressure exists in said position, said diaphragm is deflected against the biassing means to move said movable member to open said second valve and said .air inlet for permitting said induction system to inspire a mixture of air .and anti-detonant.

2. A means for enabling a predetermined quantity of liquid anti-deterrent to be induced into the induction system of an internal-combustion engine in `a position where the ,pressure is sub-atmospheric, said means comprising a casing formed in two portions, a diaphragm peripherally clamped between said casing portions to divide the latter into two chambers', one of said chambers communicating with the atmosphere and the other being sealed, a needle valve controlling an inlet passage lfor liquid anti-detonant, said one chamber formed with an inwardly-extending hollow boss, an external plug sealing an outer opening of said boss, a rotatable needle valve member screw-threaded in a bore of'said plug, a seating -in said bore for an operalive head of said needle valve member, said inlet communicating with said seating, manual means controlling the degree of opening of 'said needle valve, `a second valve, a communication from said needle'valve seating to a seating of said second valve, .said second valve having a movable member, said movable member fast with said diaphragm and extending `therethrough into both said chambers, lan operative 'head at one end of said movable member :for coaction `with Athe seating of -said second valve, means biassing said movable member to close said second valve, a rguide for said movable member in said hollow boss, said movable member having an internal duct extending from said sealed chamber to a lateral port which is shrouded Vby said guide when said second valve is closed, .said lateral port when said second valve opens moving to an unshrouded position whereby to admit air at atmospheric pressure Yto said duct from said one chamber, and a communication from said position `of said induction .system to .said sealed chamber whereby, when a sub-atmospheric pressure exists Vin said position, said diaphragm is `deflected against the biassing means ,to move said movable member .to open said second Valve and said air inlet vfor permitting said induction system to inspire a mixture of air .and anti-detonant.

References Cited in the ltile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,280,924 VWild Oct. 8, 1918 `1,472,438 Rader Oct. 30, 1923 2,255,296 Moseley Sept. 9, 1941 2,603,466 Anderson July 15, 1952 l2,657,913 Raymer Nov. 3, 1953 2,676,577 Vanderpoel a Apr. 27, 1954 

